Saturday, November 17, 2007

Today was another wonderful day! The weather was beautiful and the pilgrims were marvelous,eager, prompt, and lots of fun.

1) 8:00 AM: Leave for Mount of Beatitudes.2) Mass, talk and time to pray where Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount.3) Drive through Upper Galilee to the northern tip of Israel — to Banias, which we know as Caesarea Philippi.4) Steve gave his talk "Peter: the Rock, the Keys & the Chair."5) Exploring the site of ancient Caesarea Philippi6) 12:00 Noon: Lunch of Druze Bread and Falafils in the Druze area of the Golan Heights.7) Drive through the Golan Heights. View the borders of Lebanon and Syria.8) View the Jordan River as we cross over it.9) Visit Tabgha where Jesus multiplied the loaves & fish.10) 3:00 PM: The rest of the afternoon free.11) 6:00 PM: Yellow Bus goes to dinner at Aberge Shulamit.

Father Martin was removed from his parish assignment at a meeting with archdiocesan officials on November 8. The priest, whose unorthodox liturgical practices had prompted several prior complaints, said that the Episcopalian priest had not participated in the Consecration during the October funeral liturgy, although he had invited her to read the Gospel. There were conflicting reports on whether or not the Episcopalian cleric had received Communion; Father Martin said that he could not recall administering the Eucharist to her.

On the orders of the archbishop, Father Martin resigned his parish assignment and issued an apology for "bringing scandal to the Church," the Sun reports. A spokesman for the Baltimore archdiocese explained that the pastor's removal was called for because "he has repeatedly violated Church teaching."

Father Martin was serving as pastor of three different parishes in south Baltimore, where he had worked for 5 years. His removal comes just 6 weeks after Archbishop O'Brien was installed as head of the Baltimore archdiocese.